Sporting news

Published on Jul. 11, 2018

Jul. 11, 2018

The president of the German FA (DFB), Reinhard Grindel, and general manager Oliver Bierhoff have been urged to quit by the chairman of Germany's Central Council of Muslims over comments about Mesut Ozil.

The issues have raised concerns that Ozil could quit Die Mannschaft, with even his father suggesting it, but Central Council of Muslims chairman Aiman Mazyek believes the DFB figures should be the ones to go.

"Putting the boot in is punished with a red card in sports," Mazyek told ESPN.

"Bierhoff and Grindel must step down if they have not learned anything else in their long career than: 'You lose as Ozil' instead of 'You lose as a team'."

And Mazyek believes the intensity surrounding the debate about muslims in Germany is the reason the two have survived so far.

"If this did not have a strong bias right now, both officials - Grindel and Bierhoff - would have long been gone following their underwhelming statements."

Mazyek is not the first to come out in support of Ozil after the World Cup failure. Team-mate Jerome Boateng says the criticism was unfair.

“Everyone has picked out Mesut Ozil, but that’s not possible, Mesut is a human,” the 29-year-old said.